Track support



Jan. 30, 1934. D. M. ROBINSON 1,945,332 I TRACK SUPPORT Filed May 25, 1931 Jmantot 1);) ;)2, Dav/o M Robinson Patented Jan. 3t), 1934 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRACK SUPPORT Application May 25, 1931. Serial No. 539,835

6 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of sliding doors, and has particular reference to means for supporting the track from which the doors are suspended for sliding movement.

The aim of the invention is to provide a very simple, durable, strong, and effective arrangement by means of which the track may be very readily and quickly secured in any desired position on a supporting structure, such as the wall of a garage or the like.

By the use of my improved arrangement, the clamping device may be applied in any position along the track without requiring special preparation of the track at the desired point of clamping, and the device may be used to rigidly clamp the adjacent end of two lengths of tracks in such manner that the surfaces on which the trolley wheels roll will line up evenly although the two tracks are not exactly uniform as to shape, they being of the same gauge, however. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the bolt or equivalent means for forcing the clamping part against the track is also employed for securing the support or holder to a supporting bracket in any desired position of adjustment, an arrangement which is of advantage in that it lends to simplicity and economy and also facilitates the operation of installing the track.

Other objects will be in part obvious, and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein is shown, for the purpose of illustration, one of the embodiments which the present invention may take,

Fig. 1 is a perspective View showing my support holding a pair of track sections;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view therethrough; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view showing a different position of the clamp.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the letter A designates the lengths or sections of tracks of suitable construction, and here shown as being of the well known box type. Each section has a top wall 10, a pair of side walls 11, and inturned flanges 12 on the upper surfaces of which the trolley wheels are adapted to roll. The wheels are not shown as they may be of any suitable type. The letter B designates the track support or holder which is also of box type, it having a top Wall 15, side walls 16, and horizontal flanges 17. The flanges 12 of the track rest upon the lugs or flanges 17 of the holder, and the track fits between the side walls 16 of the holder. The track is of less height than the holder so as to leave a space between the top walls 10 and 15.

Within this space is a clamping member C of such shape that, when it is drawn tightly against the upper wall 15 of the support, the clamping member is deformed or flexed and caused to engage and bear against the top of the track whereby the track is securely held in place within the support. In the present illustrative disclosure, this clamping member comprises a plate or piece of metal, preferably formed of hard cold rolled steel. The clamping member has a curved central portion 20 and side portions or wings 21 which are preferably inclined downwardly and outwardly. The clamp is thus provided with two longitudinally extending ribs or ridges 22, the tops of which form fulcrums to opposite sides of the central transversely curved portion 20. These fulcrums are adapted to engage the top wall 15 of the support and the free ends of the wings are adapted to engage the top wall of the track. The central curved portion of the clamp has an opening 24 adapted to register with a similar opening 25 in the top wall of the support. a

The letter D designates a supporting bracket adapted to be secured, preferably for vertical adjustment, to a supporting structure, such as the wall of a garage or other building. The bracket D may be of any desired or approved construction, it here being shown, for illustrative purposes, as a flat horizontally disposed arm against the underside of which the top wall 15 of the support B is adapted to engage. This arm has a longitudinally extending slot 30. For the purpose of securing the parts together and forcing the clamping member against the track, there is provided a bolt having a threaded stem 31, a head 32, and a nut 33. By preference, the portion 34 of the stem of the bolt is polygonal in cross section, for example, square, and the opening 24 in the clamping plate corresponds thereto. The stem of the bolt extends through the openings 24 and 25 and the slot 30, with the head of the bolt engaging the convex underside of the central portion 20 of the clamping member. Between the nut 33 and the upper surface of the bracket D may be interposed a washer 35.

The manner in which the parts are secured together will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the following explanation. In case the support or holder is to receive but one length or section of track, the clamping member may be positioned as shown in Fig. 3. When it is desired to clamp the ends of two lengths of track in one holder or support, the clamping member is disposed as shown in Figs. 1 and 2; that is, with one wing 21 above one track section and the other wing above the other track section. The support and clamping member are assembled on the bracket D, the bolt not being tightened up so that the clamping member will have the shape shown by broken lines in Fig. 3. The ends of track sections are then inserted into the support and, after the support has been properly positioned lengthwise of the bracket D, the bolt is tightened. On tightening the bolt, the curved central portion 20 of the clamping member is flattened out somewhat, and this causes the side wings to swing downwardly and inwardly, thereby pressing the ends of these wings against the top wall of the track and forcing the bottom flanges of the tracks tightly about the bottom flanges or lugs 17 of the support. It will be observed that when two track sections are secured in one support, any variation in the height of the two tracks will be overcome by one side of the clamping member setting up more than the other side. Since both track sections rest on the lugs of the support,

their trolley supporting surfaces will be level and will register providing, of course, the tracks are made of the same gauge steel.

It will further be observed that a single bolt is employed for securing the clamping member,

. the support, and the bracket together, and this bolt also serves the function of deforming the clamping member when the bolt is tightened up.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above descripion or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

What is claimed is:

1. Supporting means for tracks comprising a support having a flange on which the track is adapted to rest and a top wall, a clamping member engaging the underside of said top wall and having a portion adapted to be drawn towards said top wall and another portion arranged to move downwardly into engagement with the top of the track when the first portion is drawn upwardly, and a bolt engaging said first portion of the clamping member and extending through said top wall and adapted when tightened up to draw said first mentioned portion towards the top wall.

2. Supporting means for tracks comprising a support having a flange on which the track is adapted to rest and a top Wall above the track, a clamping member comprising a single piece of resilient metal having a portion adapted to be flexed towards said top wall and another portion adapted to move into engagement with the track when the first portion is so flexed, and a bolt extending through said clamping member and top wall for flexing said clamping member.

3. Supporting means for tracks comprising a supporting member having a flange on which the track is adapted to rest and a top wall below which the track is adapted to be positioned; a clamping member comprising a stiff resilient plate having a pair of ribs adapted to engage said top wall, a depressed curved portion between the ribs and an end wing; and a bolt extending through said curved portion and top wall and adapted when tightened up to partially flatten out said curved portion and thereby bring the end of said wing against the top of the track.

a. Supporting means for tracks comprising a support having a flange on which the track is adapted to rest and a top wall below which the track is adapted to be positioned; a clamping member comprising a stiff resilient plate having a central curved portion, a pair of depending side wings, and fulcrums between the wings and the curved portion, said fulcrums engaging the underside of said top wall; and means for drawing the curved portion towards the top wall.

5. Supporting means for tracks comprising a supporting member generally rectangular in cross section and having a pair of side walls, a top wall, and horizontally disposed flanges; a clamping member comprising a stiff resilient plate having a curved central portion and de pending wings to opposite sides of the central portion, and a bolt extending through said central portion and top wall and adapted when tightened up to flex the central portion to a straighter configuration and thereby bring said wings into engagement with the track.

6. Supporting means for tracks comprising a support having a portion on which the track is adapted to rest and a top wall spaced from the top of the track, a clamping member interposed between said top wall and track and having a portion thereof adapted to be drawn towards said top wall and another portion adapted to be brought into engagement with the top of the track when the first mentioned portion of said member is drawn towards said top wall, and means for drawing the first mentioned portion of the clamping member towards said top wall.

DAVID M. ROBINSON. 

